Shell



(No Model.)

O. T. OAYLEY & R. S. COURTMAN.

SHELL.

Patented Feb. 24, 1891.

' fizz/anions: 67am 1 0a fl iwaaea UNrTE STATES PATENT FFlCE.

OLAUD THORNTON OAYLEY AND REUBEN SAMUEL COURTMAN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND,ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE E. IY. BLISS COMPANY,LIMITED, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,229, dated February24, 1891.

7 Application filed November 10, 1887, Serial No. 254,805. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLAUD THORNTON CAYLEY and REUBEN SAMUEL COURTMAN,subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, resid- 5 ing at London, England,have invented new and useful Improvements in Projectiles and Shells, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to hollow proto j ectiles and shells forordnance which are forged from a solid piece of iron or steel incontradistinction to being hollowed out by means of boring-tools.

The object of this invention is to provide a I 5 peculiar projectile orshell with no joint or seam and possessing walls of substantiallyuniform thickness of great tenacity and strength; and to such ends theinvention consists in a punch-forged hollow projectile or shell made of2 0 a single block of metal having a conoidalpoint and alongitudinally-drawn and punched-out cylindrical portion formed with alustrous external surface having parallel thread-like marks or linesextending longitudinally thereupon, whereby the article is distinguishedfrom its kind now in the market.

IVe have in an application for patent filed February 12, 1887, SerialNo. 227,419, fully described the process of manufacturing shells andprojectiles from solid blocks of metal, and have also included or shownin said application the special forms of projectiles and shells claimedin the present application, which as articles of manufacture or productsare not claimed therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face view, partly insection, of a hollow armor-piercing projectile having a dense head. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a hollow shell having afuse-opening at the point and provided with a solid or closed base. Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a shrapnel-shell charged withshot.

Referring to Fig. 1, the reference-nuineral 1 designates the bodyportion of a projectile having a solid conoidal 0r conical point 2,which is made very dense or hard, so as to facilitate or insure thepenetration of the pro jectile into solid armor-plates. The base 3 ofthe projectile is shaped so as to leave a small central opening 4, thatis closed by a screwplug or by any other suitable means. A chamber orcavity 4 is formed within the body of the projectile for the purpose ofthrowing the center of gravity nearer the forward end than it would beif the projectile were solid.

The entire projectile defined by the foregoin g description is made of asolid piece of steel or iron and has no seams or joints whatever.

The process of manufacture is fully setforth 0c in the application filedFebruary 12, 1887, and, briefly stated, it may be said to consist insubjecting a solid block of metal to the action of punches, mandrels,and dies, so as to cause the metal to flow endwise and form a chamher orcavity of any desired size or configuration. The open base of theprojectile is then by other dies turned down so as to close it, with theexception of the small central opening 4. It should be observed that bythe process of manufacture set forth we can manufacture very large andheavy shells or projectiles of one piece of steel or iron without thenecessity of using boring-tools. Furthermore, the successive action ofpunches and dies will improve the quality of the metal, produce walls ofuniform thickness and great tenacity, and give great strength to theprojectile, whether made with an open or closed bore. \Yhen the point orhead is solid and closed, the metal will be very dense and hard, for theobject already stated.

In Fig. 2 we have shown a common shell which has a closed base 5, a bodywith parallel walls of uniform thickness, and a point formed by forcingthe metal of said walls inward, so as to produce a conical or taperinghead or apex, which has a central opening 8 for the reception of aclosing-plug. The shell shown in Fig. 2 is made in the same manner asthe armor-piercing projectile, onlyin this instance there is afuse-opening in the point. The shrapnel-shell shown in Fig. 3 is alsoforged from a single piece of steel, and before the open end or apex ofthe shell is closed we in- 5 sert the diaphragm 10, which covers thechamber of the bursting-charge. The aperture at the apex of the shell ismade large enough to permit the introduction of the bullets or shot intothe said shell after its end has been closed by the action of the dies,with the exception of said aperture. \Ve prefer to fill the conical orconoidal part as well as the cylindrical part of the chamber or cavityin the sh ell. \Ve then introduce the bu rstin g-ch arge and insert thefuse. In this manner we produce a forged shrapnel-shell containing alarger number of bullets than a forged shrapnel-shell of the samedimensions as heretofore manufactured, and we are enabled, if desired,to use steel instead of lead bullets, the larger number employed makingup for the difference in the'weight of the two metals. Moreover, we canby our improved method manufacture shrapnel-shells more cheaply than ispracticable by the well-known method of male ing them in two parts anduniting the said parts by riveting, screwing, or otherwise.

In addition to the projectile or shell having the characteristics ofwalls of substantially uniform thickness and great density, tenacity,and strength our improved punch-forged projectile or shell possessesother characteristics by which it is distinguishable as an article ofmanufacture from prior projectiles or shells of its kind in that itpossesses the character istic features of a longitudinally-drawn andpunched-out cylindrical portion formed with a lustrous external surfacehaving parallel thread-like marks or lines extending longitudinallythereupon, which are produced during the process of punching by theaction of the die or mold and punches ormandrels and the lengthwiseflowing of the metal.

\Ve disclaim a hollow projectile rolled into shape with the metalcondensed and hardened at one operation, as such is not our invention,and is disclosed by Letters Patent No. 348,788 to G. F. Simonds, datedSeptember 7, 1886.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is As a new article of manufacture, apunchforged hollow projectile or shell having a conoidal point and alongitudinally-drawn and punched-out cylindrical portion formed With alustrous external surface having parallel thread-like marks or linesextending longitudinally thereupon, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

OLAUD THORNTON CAYL BY. REUBEN SAMUEL COURTMAN. itnesses:

GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN, WALTER J. SKERTEN, Both of 17 Grcccchm'ch Street,London, O.

